Motor-car brake apparatus



` May 3, 1938. H. scHMuTz MOTOR CAR BRAKE APPARATUS Filed sept. e, 1934 Patented kivny a i938 F Fi n auatic Y Moron-cm sans arranca Schmutg, herir, dwltcerld Application Septembm" d, luid, Serial lilo. 743,252

' in witaerld September ill, i933 d mal.

lilly invention relates to brake actuating apparatus for motor cars and other vehicles. The object ci my invention is to provide a .brake actuating apparatus which can be readily operated by the occupant of the vehicle in which it is installed and which is very eiiective and certain in its operation.

The principal object ofiiny invention is to provide a number of cells, one behind the other m in line, each cell being divided into two chambers by means of a flexible diaphragm all the dlaphragms being connected with a brake rod and each cell having a channel to communicate one of the chambers to a vacuum which is controlled by a distributing valve. The cells are formed by partitions, provided with paclrings and joint rings inserted in borings in the centers oi said partitions. The brake rod may be composed of a series of short rods which are threaded at their ends and screwed togethero so as to clamp a diaphragm between them. The end-cells are formed by covers, one of said covers being provided with a distributing valve casing.

Referring to the accompanying drawing illustrating my invention,

Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of the apparatus, in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation oi one of the cells talren on the line i-l of Figure 1.

lalthough the present invention is applicable to a wide range of uses, the following description will be primarily limited to its application to motor vehicles. Its application to other uses will be apparent from the description and is considered within the scope of the present invention.

In the drawing, a pipe extends from the maniiold ci the motor to a distributing valve, the mouth oi" said pipe being designated at it in Figure i. The distributing valve is connected .im with the casing of the brake-apparatus which consists of a number of cells a, d1, a3, a3, adjacent each other inline, the Anumber of which may be increased according to the weight of the vehicle. lihe casing consists oi. the iront cover g5 l, a number ci...partit-,ions l, d, d and a back-cover t. The partitidns i, i, il, are shaped so as to constitute the adjoining halves oi adjacent cells and may be held together at their edges in pairs by means oi nuts and bolts or rivets d. Each an partition is provided with a channel b, 4a connect-` ing channel c, an air sage d, and a central aperture or boring c. 4

In each oi the borings c, packing 'l and-joint ring l is inserted. Furthermore. each cell has a short rod l provided with a threaded hole at (ci. iai-isi one end and a threaded joining part at the other end. These short rods are screwed together, so as to clamp a diaphragm li therebetween and thereby4 form a brake rod in connection with a l longer rod ld at one end and a ball socket .joint it with brake lever li at the other end.

The front cover l has a boring similar to those of the partitions which is also provided with a packing 'l with encircling joint ring d. A connecting lever il is pivoted to the rod ld at ill. m The lever il is also pivoted to the shaft i5 of the distribution valve, and is also pivotally connected to the pedal rod li at 2i thereby iorming a loose link in the rod connection.

The distributing valve is composed in a well 15 known manner of a valve head lli, a small diaphragm lli clamped around its circumference between the elements oi the valve casing, and an opening l'l communicating with the pipe it. The distributing valve casing is divided by the w diaphragm into two chambers g and h. Chamber 4gH is open to the atmospheric air by an opening il along the shaft l5, while the chamber h is connected to the first cell a by means of a passage z'. The irst cell has ani angular channel communicating with the channel b of the iirst 25 partitionv i and the diaphragm, which is clamped around its circumference between the cover l and the partition 2 has an opening, so that the angular channel and the channel b are in communication. The channels b oi the partitions and the openings of the diaphragms are in line, thus .forming a continuous pipe. Small connecting channels c are provided from the channels b to the interior of the cells a1, a2, a3. The 3'5 channel b is closed by the back cover li. The back cover d has a boring in which the ball and socltet joint il, 2l isinserted. Each cell con` tains a diaphragm ll and each diaphragm may be supported or mounted between two metal a@ plates or discs it.

In order to hold thegdiaphragms in the position shown in Figure 1, a spiral spring il is inserted in the first cell a.

Having now described the general construcis tion oi my brake actuating apparatus the operation oi the same is as follows:

By pulling the pedal rod it inthe direction ci the arrow the loose link` l2 pulls the brake rod li, d, ld, il to the left, thus pressing the first 5o diaphragm li against the spring it. The pivot il then acts as a ilxed point and the loose linkage transposes the pulling movement of the pedal rod il to the shaft it which carries the valve head it, thereby shutting od the air passage 28 da l along the shaft I5. The small diaphragm I6 is removed from the opening I'I thereby exhausting the chamber h, cell a, the channel b, the connecting channels c and the chambers a1, a2, a3, through the pipe I8. The diaphragms Ii are now freely acted upon by the` atmospheric air admitted through air passages d of the partitions so that the spring 20 is compressed and the brake rod pulled further to the left. At this stage the pivot28 acts as a fixed point and the movements of the shaft I of the distributing valve is reversed, thus closing the opening II again. Further pull on the pedal rod I3 will cause an oscillating vibration of the small diaphragm I6 and the apparatus will be exhausted to the same degree as the pull of the pedal rod. Should, by accident, the distributing valve be out of order or should one of the diaphragms break, the whole rod connection I9, 9, 23, 22 may be actuated mechanically. Looseness of one of the diaphragms will not cause any trouble, because the diameters of the connecting channels c are relatively small. The brakes are released by refilling the chambers a, a1, a2, a3, with atmospheric air by means of the distributing valve.

By the arrangement of a number of diaphragms, one behind the other in a xed housing and connected by a channel, uniform movement of all diaphragms is caused and uniform application of power to all diaphragms at the same time is obtained. In order to increase the power of the brake apparatus, the number of cells may be increased to 5 0r6 units for instance, or may be decreased to 3, 2 or even 1 unit only, depending on the weight or loading of the vehicle, tractor or train.

Formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described, without departing from the spirit or substance of the broad invention, the scope of -which is commensurate with the appended claims. l

What I claim is:

l. A fluid pressure apparatus for actuating brakes fo'r motor cars and other vehicles comprising a casing having walls, a flexible diaphragm having a central aperture secured circumferentially to said casing, said casing being provided with a central bore and a packing in I at least one of the walls, a brake rod passing through said bore and said aperture and comprising two sections screwed together, and supporting disks having central apertures secured on both sides of said diaphragm, said diaphragm and supporting disks being securely fixed to said brake rod by said brake rod screw connection.

2. A fluid pressure apparatus for actuating brakes for motor cars and other vehicles comprising a casing having a plurality cf cells arranged in alignment with one another, a piurality of flexible diaphragms each having a central aperture and each being secured circumferentially to said casing within each cell, said casing having central bores and packings therein, a brake rod passing through said bores and apertures composed of a plurality of sections screwed together, and supporting discs having central apertures positioned on both sides of each diaphragm, said diaphragms and supporting discs being securely fixed to said brake rod by said brake rod screw connections.

3. A fluid pressure apparatus as claimed in claim l, further comprising a uid pressure pipe, said casing having a passage on one side of the diaphragm allowing communication between said fluid pressure pipe and said casing, said casing having an exhaust passage on the other side of said diaphragm communicating with the atmosphere.

4. A fluid pressure apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a fluid pressure pipe, said casing having a plurality of passages each on the same corresponding side of each of said diaphragms, and allowing communication between said uid pressure pipe and said casing, said casing having a plurality of exhaust passages each on the side of each diaphragm opposite to the rst named passage, each of said exhaust passages communicating with the atmosphere.

5. A fluid pressure apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a fluid pressure pipe, said casing having a passage on one side of the diaphragm allowing communication between said fluid pressure pipe and said casing, said casing having an exhaust passage on the other side of said diaphragm communicating with the atmosphere, a distributing valve for controlling the pressure within said fluid pressure pipe and a brake pedal rod operatively connected thereto.

6. A uid pressure apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a fluid pressure pipe, said casing having a plurality of passa-ges each on the same corresponding side of each of said diaphragms, and allowing communication between said iluid pressure pipe and said casing, said casing having a plurality of exhaust passages each on the side of each diaphragm opposite to the rst named passage, each of said exhaust passages communicating with the atmosphere, a distributing valve for controlling the pressure within said fluid pressure pipe, an operating lever connected to said valve and to said brake rod and a brake pedal rod connected to said operating lever.

HANS SCHMUTZ. 

